From European patent application EP 05110077.4 a device for measuring the height of a crimp contact has become known. Details thereof are shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 herein.
FIGS. 1 to 3 show diagrammatically measurement by mechanical means of the height of a wire fitting as, for example, a crimp contact 1. The crimp contact 1 that is pressed onto a wire 2 has a conductor crimp 3 and an insulation crimp 4, the conductor crimp 3 surrounding a wire conductor 5 and the insulation crimp 4 surrounding a wire insulation 6. In the crimping operation, the conductor crimp 3 and the insulation crimp 4 are plastically deformed and pressed by means of the crimping die and crimping anvil into the form shown. A first blade 7 that is connected to a vertically movable upper part of a measuring device is in contact with the upper side of the conductor crimp 3. A point 8 that is connected to a lower part of a measuring device is in contact with the lower side of the conductor crimp 3. The position of the blade 7 can be measured by means of a linear measuring device. The position of the point 8 can be measured by means of the linear measuring device. The difference between the two positions corresponds to the height H of the crimp contact 1 that is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.
FIG. 3 shows a cross section of the conductor crimp 3 with the contact points that are relevant for measuring the height of the crimp contact 1. On the upper side of the conductor crimp 3, at a first point 9 and a second point 10, the blade 7 is connected to the conductor crimp 3. On the lower side of the conductor crimp 3, at a third point 11, the point 8 is connected to the third point 11. Designated with 12 are burrs that come into being on the lower side of the conductor crimp 3 during the crimping operation as a result of play that is required between the crimping die and the crimping anvil. The crimp height H is determined from the distance between the upper side of conductor crimp 3 that is defined by the first point 9 and the second point 10 and the lower side that is defined by the third point 11.
Disadvantageous in this device is that with small crimp contacts with conductor crimp lengths below 2 mm, the crimp heights cannot be measured because the mechanical side and height centerings of this measuring device occupy a certain amount of space. Furthermore, the mechanical measuring device must be made very fine and very precise so that the desired measuring accuracy can be assured, which in turn negatively affects the manufacturing costs.